Vaporproof lamp



July 30, 1940. 9 R. PoPP 2,209,931

VAPORPRO OF LAMP Filed March 5o, 1958 Patented July `30, 1940 L UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE I QvAroRPRooF LAMF y Rudolf P61111', Valparaiso, Ind., assignor to McGill` I Manufacturing "Company, Valparaiso, Ind., a.

" 'corporation of Indiana.

Application, Marchv 30, 1938, Serial No, 19,8,814

Sealed lamps of various typesv for protection against moisture, dust and the like, have been used in the prior art, both as stationary and portable devices. On both of these types of devices, but particularly in the case of the port'- able lamp, considerablebreakage of the Yglass cover for the illuminating lamp occurred `in spite of eiforts to properly guard such cover against breakage. Ordinarily the glass cover screwed into a threaded socket on the lamp handle ori stationary supporting member, and' then-was presumably protected against breakage `byanl open frame rigid guard on the outside of such cover. With the rigid screw fastening nter' mediate the cover and support therefor, arsevere jar in the case of a stationary lamp, would loften break the glass cover at the threaded portion, and frequent breakage at this point or in an adjacent portion occurred with the portable lamp when dropped upon a hard surface or subjected to a severe shock. In other words, the open" frame rigid guard around the glass cover,

many instances, afforded no protection whatever against breakagefof the glass. It is an object of my inventionto provide a improved lighting device employing an illuminating lamp which is carried o-n a frame and enclosed in a glass cover to seal the lamp against the introduction of vapors, moisture, dust and the like, to the socket for said lamp.' For con` venience the device of my invention will be called a vaporproof lamp, as it is known in the trade, but it is understood that it is provided for protection against foreign matter other than vapor. A further object of my invention is to provide resilient fastening and sealing means fori av glass cover over the incandescent lamp of a vaporproof lamp so as to absorb shocks and jars on such devices without breaking the glass -coverifv Another object of my invention is to `provide flexible mounting and retaining means for a sealed chamber of glass in a vaporproof .lamp to permit sucient movement of the glass of such chamber to prevent breakage thereof, and to maintain the seal therefor. j A still further .object of my invention :is to providea portable vaporproof lamp which may be droppedon cement floors or the like, and subjected to all'types of severe treatment without the breakage of the glass Vaporprocf cover in suchlamp. v It is also an object of my invention 4to provide improved circuit grounding means in a portable vaporproof lamp through the vmetallic safety guard for such lamp s o that aground connection is made whenever such guard is in Contact with l normallygrounded structure. I

Other objects and advantages of my invention will. be apparent from the following description taken with the drawing, in which:

Fig. 1 is an elevational view partly in section 15 of a portable vaporproof lamp embodying my invention.

` Fig. 2 is an enlarged detail view of the upper. portion ofthe portable vaporproof lamp of Fig. 1 with a portion of such lamp in section.

Fig. 3 is a cross-sectional View along the line 3-3 of Fig..2.

.Fig. 4 is ayfragmentary' sectional view of a modiiied embodiment of my invention in a portable vapo-rproof lamp.

Fig. 5 is a cross-sectional View along the line 5 5 of Fig. 4; and

Fig. 6 is a schematic illustration of the lamp socket and lamp with the line connections to the socket and the ground connection from the socket through the my invention.

Referring now to the drawing, Fig. 1 shows a portablev lamp including a molded handle Ill, a rigid open frame safety guard II mounted upon one end thereof,n and a glass cover or globe .I2 ylikewise supported upon one end of the handler member. While the invention is illustrated vas applied to a portable lamp, it is understood that the improvements 40 shown and ds'cribedare also adapted for'use i with stationary lamps, and particularly those of wire guard for the device of f the vaporproof or dustproof type, as discussed'- above.v

Thehandle I0` is provided with a central bore 45 I3 for receiving 'a conductor I4 connected in the usual mannerwith contacts 43 and 43 (Fig. 6)

of a suitable socket IGca-rried in an enlargedl cavity Il at the top of the bore I3 in the handle portion.- Any desired incandescent lamp L may be secured in the socket I6 in the usual manner.

In order to seal such incandescent lamp against water, harmful vapors of all kinds, and dust, as

in the case ofga grain elevator or the like, so that the lamp device may in general be used satis#- @i factorily in all places, the relatively heavy glass cover I2 is supported on the handle and sealed at the enlarged upper end I8 thereof. As explained above, the glass covers for this purpose of the prior art devices were mounted on the supporting base with a rigid connection so that if some severe jar or shock was applied to the device, the glass member would often break near the rigid connection. To overcome this difficulty, I provide an annular gasket 2| shaped in a manner to yieldingly support the cover l2, and seated on the top portion I8 of the handle at an annular integral flange 22. Although the illustrated gasket 2| is provided in rubber, any resilient material to provide a cushioned seat and a relatively long life under all types of atmospheric conditions may be used.

The glass cover or globe I2 is pulled down onto the cushioned seat, as explained, by means of a flexible cage including a pair of looped metal bands v2li which cross at their closed or looped ends 26, and have a right-angled flange or lipv 2.1 at each of the end portions thereof. In the illustrated embodiments of the invention I provide only two looped metal bands 24, although it is understood that additional bands may be employed so long as the necessary illumination from the lamp within the cover I2 is not interfered with. The two bands 24 are secured together at their crossed looped ends by a rivet 25 or the like extending through such ends. Uniform circumferential spacing of the bands in the flexible cage is provided when the `flanges 2.1 are connected with the rods of the guard I.I as will be hereinafter described. i

The safety guard Il is utilized not `only to protect the glass cover I2 and the incandescent lamp therein against breakage, but the guard is so constructed that it engages the flanges 21 of the bands 24 to draw these bands and thecover I2 therewith toward the handle portion I 8 to seal the cover I2 against the cushioned seat member 2| as is apparent from Fig. `2. The flexible cage formed by the bands 24 adapted itself readily to any configuration of thel globe I2 and likewise to any slight irregularity in the position of the globe on the cushioned seat as it is drawn toward the handle of the lamp. The guard II comprises a plurality of relatively rigid vertically extending wires or rods 3| which converge at their top ends in a fastening member 36 which also supports a hook 29 therein. Thelower end of each of the rods 3| is upset or otherwise permanently secured in an annular rim 32 which bears against the flanged ends 21 of the bands 24. Rods 33 similar to rods 3| and spaced therebetween extend through apertures in the rim 32 and corresponding apertures in the flanged end 21 to project through key-slots 34 in the handle portion I8.

Internally threaded nuts 36 with a screw slot in the end thereof are threadably secured on the lower end of each of the rods 33. Their removal from the rods 33 is prevented by countersinking each nut at 36', at the bottom thereof to provide a shoulder against which the bottom of each rod may be upset. This, of course, does not interfere with the turning of the nut on the rod, yet prevents its removal so that it might become lost, The nuts 36 are provided with an outside circumference small enough to pass through the enlarged end 31 of each of the key slots 34 (Fig. 3) `and `then when the nuts 36 project entirely through the key slots at 31 the guard II is rotated until the .nuts `3.6 are below the restricted 4'With this movement the cover I2 is sealed on the seat element 2| to provide a vaporproof, dustproof, and the like, chamber for the socket I6 and inc andescent lamp L therein as above described. To insure a substantially non-wearing surface on the Yhead portion I8 against which the nuts 36 may bear, a metal insert may be molded into the handle portion around the edge of the restricted portion of the key slot.

. Although the rim 32 of the safety guard bears against the flanges 21 on the bands 24 with some considerable pressure, when the guard l| is in flnal adjusted position, this does not interfere with some slight lateral flexibility in each of the bands 24 over the remaining portions thereof. The seat element 2 I, whether it be a rubber `gasket, or of some other resilient material, gives slightly in any direction, so that when the lamp as a whole, or the cover I2 alone on a portable lamp or a stationary device, is subjected to -a severe shock or jar, the entire chamber including these elements can move slightly to absorb such shock or jar. There is no rigid body in direct contact with the glass. As a result, the glass cover I2 remains intact, and the seal between the cover and the cushion element 2| likewise is maintained. In the commercial embodiment of my invention, both as to the structure illustrated in Figs. 1 to 3, and that in Figs. 4 and 5, it has been f ound that the glass cover l2 will withstand the most severe treatment, short of-actually hurling the portable lamp onto a cement floor or against a brick wall with considerable force.

In prior portable lamps provided with handles of insulating material there has been no adequate means for providing ground connection from the lamp socket, and this insures the utmost safety in the use of such device. In the present invention, such a ground connection is eifected positively and inexpensively by means of a metal strap 39 extending to the cavity |1 for spring pressed engagement with a ground contact 42 on the socket I6 (Fig. 6). The strap 36 may be attached to the handle portion by drive screws, or if desired it may be embedded in the material of the handle in the molding of such handle. The strap 39 extends across the head portion I8 and over the restricted portion of the key slot .24 as shown in Fig. 3. An aperture is provided in such member 39 at vthe key slot as shown in Fig. 2 so that a rod 33 of the guard may project through the same, and contact is then made with the safety guard through a flanged end 21 and rim 32 pressing such flanged end onto the strap when the guard is drawn into rigid locking position. When the safety guard is in contact with the floor or any other grounded structure through the rods 3| or 33, or the `hook 29, a ground connection from the socket I6 is immediately provided. As can be seen from a consideration of Fig. 6, the ground contact 42 is entirely independent of the circuit contacts 43 and 43' of thesocket I6, which have connecting portions extending into the side wall of the socket I6 similar to contact 42 as illustrated in Figs. 2

and. 6. The contact 42, however, is spaced or positioned, intermediate the socket side wall portions of the contacts 43 and 43 so that any short across such live contacts for the incandescent lamp will immediately be grounded through the contact 42 and the other connections as described, and any static electricity accumulated around the socket within the cover will similarly be conducted to ground.

A modified embodiment of my invention is il- Iustrated in Figs. 4 and 5. In this modification a handle I similar to that illustrated in Fig. l ls provided with a socket cavity I'I at the top of a longitudinal bore as I3 in Fig. 1. A shallow cavity 4'I surrounds the socket cavity II in the enlarged head portion I8 of such handle. The glass cover I2 for forming the vaporproof chamber as heretofore described is seated on a resilient annular element 48 having a downwardly projecting flange 49 on the lower inside corner thereof and an annular groove or channel 5I in the upper surface to receive the open end of the cover I2 therein as illustrated in Fig. 4. The lower face of the member 48 outside the flange 49 seats on the top surface of the head I 8 of the handle. The cushioned seat element 48 as provided in this embodiment may be formed of rubber or any other resilient composition material as described with respect to the element 2| above.

A flexible cage including looped bands 24 is also employed with this embodiment and such bands have a iiange 2'I at each lower end thereof in engagement with an annular rim 32' of the safety guard. Each flange is secured to the top of the rim 32' as shown in Fig. 4 by means of an eyelet 50. It is believed unnecessary to completely illustrate the safety guard of this embodiment, for this guard is similar to that illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2, and includes relatively stiff rods 3I for securing at their upper end in a fastening member such as member 30 in Fig. 2, and rigidly secured at their lower ends to the rim 32 of the guard. To secure the guard to the handle portion in this embodiment, however, I provide internally threaded bushings or inserts 53 which may be molded into the handle I8' or inserted from the bottom in apertures 54 in the handle which apertures have a shoulder portion or the like to prevent the bushing from being pulled upwardly. These bushings are adapted to receive a set screw 56 which extends down through the eyelet 5D and into the insert or bushing 53. When the screw is turned into the bushing 53, the safety guard and the flexible cage are together drawn down toward the handle portion I8 to draw the cover I2 onto the cushioned seat 48 and seal the same thereon in the manner heretofore described.

A ground connection similar to that described above, is also provided for this embodiment of my invention. The ground strap 39 follows the contour of the head of the handle from engagement with the ground contact 42 on the socket I6 to a position over an aperture 54 in the head portion I8 of the handle for engagement by the rim of the safety guard to connect with the body of such guard.

To prevent moisture from entering the bore I3 in the handle of each of the illustrated embodiments, and for clamping the cord I4 against movement at the lower end of the handle, I provide a packing nut 6I for threaded fastening in the end of the handle. A rubber packing sleeve E2 therein is compressed between the shoulder 63 on the handle, and shoulder 64 in the nut 6I, to effectively seal the bore I3 and simultaneously frictionally engage the conductor I4.

Although I have described my invention in its preferred embodiments, it is understood that I do not limit the invention thereby, but limit the same only by the scope of the appended claims.

, I claim:

l. A portable vaporproof lamp comprising in combination a handle of non-yielding insulating material having an enlarged body portion at one end, a yielding member removably carried on said enlarged body portion having thereon an annular positioning shoulder and a positioning seat of such a size and shape as to substantially center a breakable cover on said seat at said shoulder, a breakable cover open at one end yieldingly supported on said seat at said open end, a yielding frame in engagement with said cover for drawing said cover into a vaporproof connection with said member at said seat comprising a pair of ilat bands with each band eX- tending completely over said cover and said pair of bands crossed at the closed end of said cover, clamping means at the ends of said bands for pulling said bands toward the body portion of said handle to pull the cover therewith to provide a vaporproof connection between said cover and said positioning seat, and with said yieldable cover movable therewith in said yielding frame for absorbing shocks and jars without breaking.

2. A portable vaporproof lamp comprising in combination a handle of non-yielding insulating material having asocket cavity at one end thereof and an enlarged open-ended portion surround- U ing said socket cavity having a substantially flat surface, a yielding member removably carriedy on said handle at said open end for supporting and centering on said handle a breakable cover for the lamp, a breakable cover supported on said yielding member, a yielding frame for yieldably maintaining said cover in a vaporproof connection with said yielding member, a rigid frame supported on said handle with a portion thereof resting on said substantially flat surface of said handle in a position outside said yielding member, a lamp socket carried in said socket cavity, and a metal ground strap in electrical connection with said socket at said cavity, secured in said handle and extending radially from said socket cavity across said substantially flat surface, underneath said yielding member, and in electrical connection with said rigid frame at the substantially at surface of said handle.

RUDOLF POPP. 

